Trojan Saga, pt. III (Ch 19)

Post-Iliad Events

Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons, comes to fight for the Trojans but is defeated by Achilles and stripped of her armour. Upon realizing she is a woman, Achilles is smitten, and falls in love with her as he kills her. For this unrequited love, he is jibed by Thersites (Greek joker figure) as being "the ugliest man in Troy". After slaying the joker, a fellow soldier, he must withdraw to Lesbos for blood purification before returning to battle.

Achilles is finally slain by Paris's arrow, guided by Apollo, which punctures his moral heel. Achilles' corpse and armour is fought for by Ajax the Greater and is recovered back to the Achaean camp, where the ghost of Achilles demands the sacrifice of Priam's daughter Polyxena.

Odysseus and Ajax fight over armour, which is eventually arbitrated over by Athena and a Greek jury. Odysseus wins the arms due to cunning, as he blackmails a group of terrorized Trojan prisoners into testifying to his might. Ajax goes insane with incomprehension, and slaughters a flock of sheep under the disillusion they are the jury of Greek leaders. After realizing his "failure as a hero" he commits suicide by falling upon his own sword. The death of Ajax the Greater is a symbol of the end of the "old hero". The last of his kind, he represents a nation of heroes that relied on brute strength over cunning and wiles. From his blood, a hyacinth sprouts, honoring the passing of his spirit.
Odysseus concludes that "we who live are nothing more than ghosts and weightless shades", implying that no matter how great and mighty you are, you will inevitable be levelled by your mortality.

The three conditions foreseen by Helenus, the Trojan seer, are met by the Achaean army:

• Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles, is recovered. He brutally slaughters Priam at an altar.
• The Paladium, the wooden figure of Pallas, friend of Athena, is stolen by Odysseus disguised as a beggar.
• The Bow of Heracles is recovered from Philoctetes in Lemnos.

As such, Odysseus commands Epeus to build a giant wooden horse. While the Greeks feign retreat by sailing away behind the island of Tenedos, they leave behind Sinon, who pretends he's escaped from becoming a Greek human sacrifice. Sinon explains that the horse is an offering to Athena, and is built so large that the Trojans will not be able to fit it inside their walls, but the Trojans tear down their own gates in order to capture it.

The Trojans are warned twice: once by Cassandra, daughter of Prium suffering a curse from Apollo, and the other by Laocoon, who declares Sinon a liar and the horse a ruse. He hurls a spear into the side of the horse and hears the rattling of soldiers' armour, which is miraculously drowned out by the sudden appearance of two sea serpents that drag him and his two children into the sea.

With the city penetrated, the Achaeans mercilessly ransack Troy. Euripedes' Trojan Women, as well as other Greek literary works, depict the Post-Iliad as a powerful anti-war tragedy, as seen through the eyes of prisoner women (Hecuba, Cassandra, Andromache).

• Ajax the Lesser, son of Oileus, attempts to rape Cassandra at the temple of Athena, ensuring his death on the way home. Cassandra herself is taken as concubine to Agamemnon, as told in Aeschylus' Agamemnon.
• Odysseus hurls Hectors son Astyanax from the walls of Troy, before his mother's eyes, because "only a fool kills a father and allows his son to live. Andromache herself is taken as a concubine.

As told in Vergil's Aeneid, Aeneas (Aphrodite + Anchises) is visited upon by Hector's ghost, is told to escape far away, to a land where he is the eventual founder of Rome.

The Trojan Saga, pt. II (Ch 19)

Homer's Iliad Proper

Wrath of Achilles (Book I)
The Trojan priest of Apollo Chryses attempts to ransom his daughter from her position as concubine at Agamemnon's court, but because she is considered part of the 'spoils of war', his wish is refused. In despair Chryses calls upon Apollo to punish the hubristic king, and a plague of arrows is launched against the Achaeans, decimating the army's beasts and men.
Calchas, seer of Sparta, protected by Achilles, prophetizes she must be returned, but Agamemnon demands compensation in the form of Achilles's concubine, Burseis. Achilles nearly slaughters the entire court but is held back by Athena, who reimburses his loss with an alliance to the Gods and the promise of a 10-fold reward. Achilles takes his leave with these words of warning to Agamemnon: "You will tear your heart, angry that you did not honor the best of the Achaeans". He withdraws from fighting as Burseis is taken from him, and as a result the Trojans gain the upper hand in the battle.
He is consoled by Thetis, who appeals to Zeus and binds him to his oath that (a) Achilles is granted honor, and (b) the Trojans will succeed while Achilles is absent from war.

The Trojans (Book VI)
Achilles nemesis, Hector (son of Priam, brother of Paris), awaits in Troy at the head of his army. Although his wife Andromache, and his newborn son Astyanax, plead with Hector not to go to battle (and inevitably widowing her) but he refuses to violate the warrior ethos. Even though he knows his struggle will be a lost cause, he cannot bear the public shame of being seen as a coward.

Embassy to Achilles (Book IX)
Agamemnon sends three heroes to nurse Achilles pride and convince him to return to battle: Odysseus (for guile), Phoenix (for wisdom), and Ajax the Greater, son of Telamon (for strength).
Achilles hubristically rejects Odysseus, despite being amply compensated for his humiliation (all spoils of victory, his concubine returned untouched, as well as 20 of the finest Trojan women), claiming that he will not submit to a bribe from a cowardly ruler.
He then more sensitively rejects his old tutor, Phoenix, who attempts to play upon his sentiments of honor and dishonor.
He finally rejects Ajax, who bluntly states the warrior code and finds it hard to believe Achilles will not fight simply for a girl.
Meanwhile, Patrocles (Achilles long time friend and training partner) begs Achilles that take action against Hector, who is burning the Greek ships. He dons Achilles' armour, and is warned not to fight Hector one on one. The ruse works and the tides turn against the Trojans, until Patrocles goes one step too far and is wounded, revealing his identity. Hector slays him and strips him of his armour (highest indignity).
Achilles is shocked back into action and vows vengeance upon Hector, despite being aware of his imminent (but glorified) death. He ends his quarrel with Agamemnon, stating he fights for Patrocles and no one else. Thetis brings Achilles new armour and a new shield (depiction of war on one side, peace on the other) fashioned by Hephaestus on Mt. Olympus, which become a symbolic talisman on the battlefield.

Hector vs. Achilles (Book XXII)
Achilles faces Hector alone on the battlefield, two men who have accepted their fates. Hector loses courage and attempts to flee, and he is chased by Achilles three times around the walls of Troy until Athena intervenes. Hector is tricked into thinking he has backup against Achilles, but Athena (disguised as a trojan) disappears when his back is turned. At this cowardice, Apollo removes his backing from Troy, and Athena asserts her psychostasic alliance with Achilles ("while humans weigh lives, the Gods weigh souls and cities").
Hector appeals to Achilles humility by asking for proper burial rites for the loser, but Achilles shows no mercy, slaughters Hector, and drags his corpse behind his chariot around Troy and back to the camp (Unpunished hubrisic action #3)
After defeating, defiling, and kidnapping Hector's corpse, Achilles sleeps over it, having it renewed by Apollo each day for fresh dishonour. He celebrates Patroclus's death with funeral games, and by sacrificing 12 Trojan youth (Unpunished hubris #4). Thetis, seeing this excessive disrespect for the dead, appeals to Zeus, to takes action so Achilles will relent.
One night, guided by Hermes, Prium sneaks into the Greek camp and begs for Hectors body as a father. Faced by the slayer of his children, he ransoms his son from the warrior and is able to return home.

The Burial of Hector (XXIV)
The Iliad ends with Hector's proper burial at Troy.
"No human action is without grief... some were driven through cruel misery by divine intention, based on luck and not discretion."

The Trojan Saga, pt I (Ch 19)

Overview

The Trojan War spanned 10 years of fighting and skirmishing between the Greeks and the Trojans, and is reflected in the quarrelling of allied Gods and Goddesses. What begins as a war over the abduction of Helen continues as an excuse for political advancement, whereby the Greeks seek to assert their dominance over the Romans.

Key Concepts

Warrior Pride

• Arete, "excellence": the pursuit of physical and intellectual dominance
• Time, "face": honor of a warrior, his reputation
• Kleos, "glory": the essence of being a victor, and history is written by those who win.

Loyalty: the wives of Agamemnon and Odysseus contrast the virtue of loyalty and are rewarded by their own fate and the fate of their kingdom.

War Precedents

1. Leda, wife of Tindareus (King of Sparta) is visited upon by Zeus (disguised as a swan). She gives birth to two eggs, four kids: Polydeuces/Pollux + Helen, Castor + Clytemnestra.
- The Dioscuri ("sons of Zeus"): Pollux (immortal) and Castor (mortal), grow up to join Jason and the argonauts. In a violent storm, flames flicker from the brother's heads ("Castor and Pollux", "St. Elmos Fire") and the storms seize immediately in the face of their divinity. Castor, however, is later killed in a fight, and is avenged by his brother Pollux who splits his immortality (one brother occupies the underworld, while the other is above, they alternate each day)
- Tyndareus, in a position where his daughter is desired by countless suitors of significant political clout, asks Odysseus to solve his daughter's betrothal in exchange for the hand of Penelope. Odysseus asserts that (1) all suitors must abide by Tyndareus's decision, (2) all must vow for her vengeance if she is ever abducted, and (3) Menalaus, King of Sparta, would be the best protectorate and husband.

2. Hecuba, wife of Priam (King of Troy), has a dream of a fire-brand that destroys Troy, and subsequently gives birth to it. In fear of her nation, she abandons the infant Paris on the side of Mt. Ida where he is discovered and raised by a shepard.

3. At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis (neriad), the Gods in attendance are thrown into discord by the appearance of Eris ("strife"), who throws a golden apple among the goddesses inscribed with "to the fairest". Zeus chooses the Paris, handsome son of Priam, to make a ruling between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, who respectively bribe him with power, military prowess, and Helen.
Naturally, Paris ascertains that Aphrodite is the fairest of them all.

4. When Paris abducts Helen and returns to Troy, all Greek heroes are ordered to assembly at Aulis - only Odysseus is reluctant and momentarily feigns madness. The seer Calchas of Sparta prophetizes Troy cannot be taken without Achilles. The seer Helenus of Troy prophetizes Troy cannot be captured without the aid of Heracles' bow.

5. Meanwhile, Thetis attempts to make Achilles immortal.

• Like Diamophoon, Thetis makes like Demeter and attempts to burn away the mortal flesh of an ambrosia-anointed Achilles. Once she reaches his heel, however, she is stopped by Peleus.
• Or, she dips Achilles by his heel into the River Styx.

He is mentored alongside Patrocles by the centaur Chiron on Mt. Pelion, until Thetis learns of the prophecy he will either live his life short and glorious, or long and unremarkable. She responds by hiding Achilles on the Cycladid island Scyros, and disguising him by concealing him in women's clothing.
His cover is blown, however, when Odysseus calls the young men of the island to arms.
He leaves behind a wife, Deidamia, and son, Neoptolemus (a.k.a. Pyrrhus) in order to go to war with the Achaens.

6. As the armada at Aulis is completed, King Agamemnon learns he must sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to appease Artemis and gain favourable winds. He deceives the young girl by saying she is about to marry Achilles, but before she is about to be executed, Artemis substitutes a young doe and whisks her off to the land of the Taurians.

7. On the way to Troy, Philoctetes (holder of Heracles' bow) is bitten in the foot by a snake. The wound rots to give off a powerful enough stench he is dropped off, with bow and arrows, on the island of Lemnos. He is later rescued and the bow is what eventually kills Paris.